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Aug. 18, 19 59 1'. LA MAIDA cmzmrou m Filed June 13, 1951 y IINVENTOR. THOMAS LA MAID/I IP/CHEY, WA 7'75, IDGEIPTON, M-"NE/VNY4 FA RE/N67 M.

United States Patent v c GRADUATION CAP Thomas La Maida, Cleveland, Ohio Application June 13, 1957, Serial No. 665,566

6 Claims. (Cl. 2-195) This invention relates to' an improvement in a graduation cap, also known as a mortarboard, and more particularly, it relates to an improvement over the type of graduation cap disclosed in my Patent No. 2,629,874, issued March 3, 1933.

Graduation caps, made in accordance with the teachings of the above patent, comprise a substantially rigid square top part of the crown, having secured to the under middle side thereof an oval-shaped seeming member having its marginal portion entirely free thereabout to provide a space or groove between the same and the top part. The side or body of the crown is formed from a one-piece band of suitable form to fit about the head when it is fully assembled. The upper edge of the body is provided with locking tongues which are engaged in the groove between the securing member and the underside of the top, when the side of the crown is folded around the securing member with the body extending downwardly therefrom.

In the construction above referred to, the tongues are formed integrally with the top edge of the body, and the tongues are bent inwardly from the top edge with the result that in some instances, particularly in the larger sizes, the top edge of the side of the crown is spaced from the underside of the top a short distance, thus creating the material of the crown and tonges sometimes buckles to the top, and is pulling away therefrom. Furthermore, the material of the crown and tongues sometimes buckles in such construction. This is believed to be due to the feature of having the locking tongues folded inwardly along the top edge of the side of the crown, whereby due to the natural flexibility of the material at the point of the fold, the inner ends of the tongues have a natural tendency to draw the top edge of the side of the crown from the top. The foregoing conditions could be remedied if the transverse top edge of the side of the crown could be squarely seated against the underside of the top, rather than on a folded edge.

I have discovered that by providing a separate securing strip means, having its body portion secured to the inner surface of the side of the crown with its top margin spaced inwardly of the top margin of the side of the crown a short distance, and by providing flexible tongues extending beyond the upper margin thereof, a cap is produced which permits the upper transverse edge of the side of the crown to be squarely seated against the underside of the top, due to the vector of the pulling force exerted by the tongues being inwardly and upwardly from the upper margin of the securing strip. The foregoing construction seats the top transverse edge of the side of the crown squarely against the underside of the top and securely retains the parts in such relation, and provides a neat and attractive cap having the appearance of the top and side crown members being permanently united.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a new and improved graduation cap of the type described,

c'on'structedand arranged'in suchmanner that the trans-- verse top edge of the side'ofthe crown is directly and ICE . 2 squarely seated against the underside of the top by relatively simple and releasable locking means securely retaining the parts together in tight relation to each other.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a gradua tion cap of which the principal parts may be formed by a stamping operation from suitable material, such as cardboard, plastic materials or other fiexible materials, which may be shipped through the mail in fiat disassembled form and readily assembled into cap form by the user by means of simple folding operations.

Another object is to provide a graduation cap adapted to be produced at a relatively lower cost than other similar caps.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an adjustable graduation cap which may be readily adjusted to suit the individual size required, the same providing a neat and attractive appearance and being serviceable and durable in use.

These and further objects of the invention will appear during the course of the following description.

In the drawings forming a port of this description:

Fig. 1 is a view of the blank from which the side or body of the crown of the cap is formed showing the securing strip and locking tongues;

Fig. 2 is an underside view of the assembled cap;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, while Fig. 5 illustrates the completed graduation cap mounted on a head.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed coinprises three principal parts which are adapted to be stamped or cut out of flexible material, such as cardboard, fiberboard or other suitable materials, to form a completed and assembled graduation cap, indicated by the numeral 10. The principal parts, above referred to, include a substantially rigid square top part 11 of the crown, a side or body portion of the crown 13 formed of a onepiece strip of material suitably formed to fit about the head of the user when the parts are fully assembled, the blank from which the body of the crown is formed being illustrated in Fig. l, and is hereinafter sometimes referred to as a blank. A flat oval-shaped securing member 12, secured to the underside of the top 11, is provided with marginal portions 12a entirely free thereabout in order to provide a space or groove between the same and the top 11. The securing member 12 is secured to the underside of the top '11 by means of a suitable adhesive, indicated at 12b, applied along the central portion thereof leaving an unsecured portion around the outside approximately one inch or so in depth. The top 11 may be formed of cardboard, and may be covered with a layer of paper suitably secured thereto and provided with a tassel 23.

The form of the blank, from which the side crown 13 is formed, has a lower edge margin 14 of a shape and configuration corresponding to that of the familiar brace or bracket which comes to a point at its middle portion 15. The configuration of the lower margin 14 of the side 13 when assembled is shown in Fig. 5. A line of scoring 16 in line with the point 15 permits the side crown 13 to be transversely folded for shipment. The edge portion 14- is provided with an embossed band portion 17 for decorative purposes, while reinforcing strips 18 are disposed along the inner lower edge portion 14. The left hand end of the side crown 13, as viewed in Fig. 1, is provided with a series of transverse slits 19, while the opposite end thereof is provided with a cooperating tongue 20, for selectively locking the two ends of the:

side crown together, the grooves bein'g spaced apart to r 3 provide for the adjustment of longitudinal size of the crown 13 to fit heads of different sizes.

A securing strip 21 stamped from suitable material is provided along its upper edge portion 22 with a series of integrally formed locking tongues 23 formed by cutting away portions of the securing strip 21, providing locking tongues 23 of substantial length, which are adapted to be inserted in the groove 12c between the securing member 12 and the underside of the top part 11, in order to lock the side crown 13 to the underside of the top 11 with the side crown 13 extending downwardly therefrom. The securing strip 21 is adhesively secured to the inner top edge portion 22 of the side crown 13 with its top edge disposed inwardly of the top edge 22 a relatively short distance, indicated at 24, which may be on the order of A3 or so. The locking tongues 23 project outwardly from the top margin of the securing strip 21 and are not secured to the side crown 13, in order that they may be readily bent substantially at right angles from the securing strip 21, which is scored, as indicated at 25, to facilitate the crimping or bending operations. The size and shape of the locking tongues 23, as well as the spacings of the same from each other, may vary according to the particular circumstances of the hat with which they are used.

The side crown 13 formed in the shape of a flat band, as illustrated in Fig. 1, may be folded transversely at the scoring 16 and packaged in an envelope together with the flat top 11 in which it may be shipped to the user, who, upon removing said parts from the envelope, may proceed to assemble the same to form a graduation cap by placing the top 11 on a surface with the oval-shaped securing member disposed upwardly. The side crown band 13 is then mounted around the securing member 12 by disposing the band 13 with the transverse scoring 16 in line with a starting tab 27, and then the upper edge portion 22 of the band 13 is folded around the outer periphery of the securing member 12, with the locking tongues 23 inserted in the groove 120 between the securing member 12 and the underside of the top 11. As shown in Fig. 2, the tab 27 is formed on or otherwise attached to the edge of the securing member 12, and may be generally semi-circular in shape. By lifting the tab away from the bottom surface of the top 11, a number of the locking tongues 23 may be slipped thereunder and subsequently inserted intothe space defined between the outer margin of the securing member and the top. This tab 27 acts somewhat in the nature of a camming member and increases the ease with which the initial few tongues may be inserted into the space. After a few tongues have been inserted, the assembly of the remaining tongues into the space becomes increasingly less dificult. The two ends of the band 13 are then overlapped at the center of the back of the cap, and the tongue is inserted in one of the slits 19, which gives the proper longitudinal extent of the side crown. Thus, the side crown 13 is releasably secured to the underside of the top 11 with the side crown 13 extending do. wardly from the top and is formed in a general oval shape adapted to fit around the side of a head. The configuration of the upper edge 22 of the band 13 is such that its horizontal edge lies in the same plane when it is assembled to the top 11.

Graduation caps of this type constructed prior to this invention were provided with locking tongues disposed at the top edge of the side crown, and as the tongues were bent away from the plane of the crown, the top edge of the crown was pulled away from the undersurface of the top, which is undesirable, the same being due in part to the fact that there is a fold rather than a cleancut or square edge at the top of the crown which can be seated on the underside of the top.

I have found that by providing a separate securing strip having its top margin disposed a short distance below the top margin of the crown, and by having the tongues extending beyond the edge of said securing strip, the upper transverse edge portion 26 of the side crown 13 may be squarely drawn and locked against the underside of the top 11, as the vector of the pulling force exerted by the locking tongues 23 is inwardly and upwardly from the upper margin of the securing strip, as illustrated in Fig. 3. This causes the transverse upper edge 26 of the crown band 13 to be squarely seated and locked against the underside of the top 11, and also causes the inner top margin of said band to be securely retained around ovalshapcd securing member 12.

An additional advantage in using separate securing strips having locking tongues formed on the upper edge thereof is, that such securing strips may be formed from relatively short pieces of material ordinarily discarded as waste material and, therefore, this device is adapted to be produced at a lower cost than conventional caps of this type, having the locking tongues formed integrally with the crown band.

The assembled ca indicated by the numeral 10, is illustrated in Fig. 5. The construction and arrangement of the locking tongues 23 in cooperation with the securing member 12 is such that the assembled cap 10 will retain its assembled shape for any one of the various assembled sizes. Obviously, the cap may be disassembled by releasing the tongue 20 from the slit 19, with which it has been engaged. The configuration of the lower edge portion 14 of the top crown 13 is such that in assembled form, it gives the appearance of a conventional graduation cap fitting neatly around the head of the wearer. The cost of a cap constructed in accordance with this invention is relatively much lower than that of conventional caps, in fact the cost is so low that in many instances, the cap is worn for one ceremony, then disassembled and retained as a souvenir. Obviously, the cap herein described may be formed from various types of bendable material adapted to be readily cut and assembled. Various minor structural changes may be made, such as providing two separate securing strips. The size, shape and number of locking tongues may also vary, likewise, the means for securing the securing member to the underside of the top may be staples or other means.

Having thus described this invention in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, and having set forth the best mode contemplated of carrying out this invention, I state that the subject matter which I regard as being my invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in what is claimed, it being understood that equivalents or modifications of, or substitutions for, parts of the above specifically described embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in what is claimed.

What is claimed:

1. A graduation cap of the type including a flat top part, securing means attached to the underside of said top, with the marginal portion of said securing means spaced therefrom, and a separate downwardly extend ing body part in the form of a band, said band having a transversely extending top edge, the improvement comprising, a securing strip disposed along the inner surface of the upper margin of said band with the upper edge of the securing strip disposed a short distance below the upper margin of said band, the transverse upper edge of said band being tightly seated against the flat underside of said top, said securing strip being provided with flexible engagement means connected to and extending from the upper edge of the securing strip and bent inwardly therefrom into the space between said top and said securing means, said flexible engagement means extending around a major portion of said band and retaining the top transverse edge of said band squarely against the flat underside of said top.

2. A graduation cap of the type including a flat top part having flat securing means attached to the middle portion of the underside thereof, with the marginal portion of said securing means spaced therefrom entirely thereabout, and a separate downwardly extending body part in the form of a band having two ends including adjustable connecting means between said two ends of said band, and said band having a transversely extending top edge, the improvement comprising, a securing strip disposed along and secured to the inner surface of the upper margin of said band with the upper edge of the securing strip disposed a short distance below the upper margin of said band, the undeformed upper transverse edge of the band being tightly seated against the flat underside of said top, said securing strip being provided with integrally formed engagement means in the form of a series of spaced members extending from the upper edge of the securing strip and extending inwardly therefrom into the space between said top and said securing means, said members together extending around a major portion of said band and retaining said top transverse edge of said band securely against the flat underside of said top and for retaining the inner upper portion of said band around said securing means.

3. A graduation cap of the type including a flat top part having securing means attached to the underside of said top part with the marginal portions of said securing means par-t spaced therefrom, and a downwardly extending body in the form of a curved band of bendable sheet material having two ends and adjustable connecting means between said two ends for the head-engaging adjustment, said band having a transversely extending top edge, the improvement comprising, a securing strip disposed along and secured to the upper part of said .band with the top edge of the securing strip disposed a short distance below the top edge of said band and provided with radially inwardly extending flexible tongues along the upper edge thereof, said tongues together extending around a major portion of said band, said tongues extending into the space between said top part and said securing means part, and adjustably engaged between said top and said securing means according to the size of the head on which it is worn, the position and arrangement of said strip and tongues retaining the top transverse edge of said band securely against said top.

4. A graduation cap comprising, a flat top part having an oval-shaped part attached to the middle portion of the underside of said top part with the marginal portions of said oval-shaped part spaced therefrom for receiving a head-engaging portion of the top, and a separate downwardly extending body in the form of a onepiece curved band of bendable sheet material having two ends and adjustable connecting means between said two ends for connecting the same together so as to assume annular form for engagement with different sizes of heads, said band having a transversely extending top edge, a securing strip disposed on and attached to the inner side of said band along the top margin thereof with the top edge of the securing strip disposed a short distance below the top edge of said band and provided with integral radially inwardly extending tongues along the upper edge thereof, and together extending around a major portion of said band, said tongues extending into the space between said top part and said oval-shaped part, and adjustably engaged between said top and said ovalshaped part according to the size of the head on which it is worn, the disposition and arrangement of the top margin of said strip inwardly of the top margin of said band with the tongues extending inwardly therefrom causing the top transverse edge of said band to be securely seated against the hat underside of said top.

5. A graduation cap comprising a flat top part having an oval-shaped part attached to the underside thereof with the marginal portion of said oval-shaped part spaced therefrom and provided with an outwardly projecting starting tab connected thereto, and a separate downwardly extending body part in the form of a band, said band having a transversely extending top edge, said band having two ends and having its upper margin provided with means of engagement extending inwardly therefrom into the space between said top and oval-shaped parts, said engagement means including secured portions attached to the top inner surface of said band with the top edge of the secured portions disposed a short distance below the top transverse edge of said band and flexible unsecured portions extending beyond said secured portions and bent angularly therefrom, and adjustably engaged between said top and oval-shaped parts according to the size of the head, said unsecured portions together extending around a major portion of said band, the transverse top edge of said band being disposed securely against the fiat underside of said top, said band having adjustable connecting means between the said two ends of said band, whereby the two ends of said band are adapted to be connected according to the size at which said body part is worn.

6. A graduation cap comprising a flat top part having an oval-shaped part attached to the middle portion of the underside thereof with the marginal portion of said ovalshaped part spaced therefrom entirely thereabout, and a separate downwardly extending body part in the form of a band having two ends, said band having a transversely extending top edge, said band having its upper margin provided with separate means of engagement extending inwardly therefrom into the space between said top and said oval-shaped parts, said engagement means including secured portions attached to the top inner surface of said band with the top edge of the secured portion disposed a short distance below the top transverse edge of said band and unsecured portions extending beyond said secured portion and bent angularly therefrom, and adjustably engaged between said top and oval-shaped parts according to the size of the head, said unsecured portions together extending around a major portion of said band, the transverse top edge of said band being disposed securely against the flat underside of said top and being securely retained thereagainst, the inner top margin of said band being retained around the edge of said ovalshaped part, said band having adjustable connecting means formed from integral portions of said band and disposed between the said two ends of said band, for varying the length of said band.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,629,874 La Maida Mar. 3, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 26,133 Great Britain Nov. 19, 1896 

